Only Centurion members can buy one of three $257,000 Carrera Ss

By Damon Lowney
on Tue, Jul 20, 2010 2:02 PM PDT

Only three Centurion edition Carrera Ss will be made.

A Costco membership gives you the power to buy more than you really need (if you’re single with no kids, anyway) and gives you an excuse to purchase a hot dog, soda, and a huge piece of pizza, all for under four dollars. If you pony up some extra cash and buy Costco’s executive membership, it will net you a two-percent annual reward on all purchases and a slight feeling of exclusivity.

American Express Centurion cardholders in Hong Kong get a quite a bit more than that, definitely not limited to, but including, an invitation to buy one of three Porsche 911 Carrera S Centurion Editions for the card’s tenth anniversary. The titanium credit card costs $19,800 Hong Kong dollars ($2,542.16 in USD) to renew annually after spending $23,000 HKD for the invitation-only, one-time joining fee. (According to discussions on a FlyerTalk.com forum, the magic spending requirement to receive an invitation to join is elusive.) This special edition 997 is priced at a steep $257,000, but if exclusivity is what the buyer wants, that’s what the buyer will get. Two invitations are needed to buy this card, and getting the first requires a lot of money.

Although the car is technically a regular PDK equipped Carrera S, the extra money lands this 997 an interior of black leather, Alcantara, and carbon fiber, stitched with titanium silver thread, no less. Front door panels have badges that read “Carrera S Centurion Edition No. 1 of 3,” and the outer door-sill guards have the “Centurion From American Express” logo in stainless steel. The only color available is Basalt Black Metallic and the special 19-inch wheels are painted with the same color.

Centurion members have until July 31 to place an order for a chance to buy the car and American Express will make a donation to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for each car sold.